Certain α,β-unsaturated sulfones, sulfoxides and sulfonamides particularly styrylbenzyl sulfones have been shown to possess antiproliferative, radioprotective and chemoprotective activity. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,599,932, 6,576,675, 6,548,553, 6,541,475, 6,486,210, 6,414,034, 6,359,013, 6,201,154, 6,656,973 and 6,762,207, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
(E)-α,β-unsaturated sulfones have been prepared, for example, by Knoevenagel condensation of aromatic aldehydes with sulfones such as 2-(arylmethylsulfonyl)acetic acids. The procedure is described for the synthesis of the styryl sulfones by Reddy et al., Acta. Chim. Hung. 115:269-71 (1984); Reddy et al., Sulfur Letters 13:83-90 (1991); Reddy et al., Synthesis No. 4, 322-323 (1984); and Reddy et al., Sulfur Letters 7:43-48 (1987), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Alternative synthetic methods for preparing (E)-α,β-unsaturated sulfides, sulfones, sulfoxides and sulfonamides are desired.